


Somewhere Along the Way

by ArrowsandStars



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Angst, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Oneshot, Romance, Soul/Maka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 10:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5536973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrowsandStars/pseuds/ArrowsandStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soul is (very) late getting home from a Death Scythe training mission with Stein, leaving Maka to an evening of worrying and stressing. When he finally arrives, something changes between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somewhere Along the Way

Maka watched the ceiling fan turn lazy circles, it’s lengthening shadow seeming to chase it across the ceiling. Her laptop lay beside her head, quiet music pouring out of it, the beginnings of an essay written on the dimmed screen. She had been trying to write an essay for at least two hours now, and she barely had an introductory statement written. Her thoughts, and worries, kept racing back to Soul, who was on a training mission with Stein. It was one of his first missions as a death scythe, and Stein was taking him so he could get used to the feeling of being used by another meister. What if Stein got him hurt? What if he couldn’t resonate correctly with Soul? 

All of these thoughts and worries swirled in and out of Maka’s mind, and she dismissed each one. Stein was one of the world’s top meisters, and he could resonate with anyone. He would take care of Soul, she knew it, but she was still convinced he couldn’t do it as well as she could. She knew Soul like no one else did. She could do anything better if Soul was there. Fighting, studying, she could even cook better, he always reminded her to stir so their food wouldn’t burn. 

She sighed. There was no use worrying over it. He would be back to her before dinner. Maybe she’d cook something and invite Stien to stay as well. She moved her mouse so her computer screen lit up again. It was nearly six now, she could start and have dinner almost ready by 7, when Soul and Stein were supposed to be back. She grabbed her laptop and rolled off of her bed.  
Padding into the kitchen, she turned up her music and searched the cabinets for something to make. She settled on spaghetti, as it was one of Soul’s favorites, and one of the things she could make with a relatively high success rate. She grabbed everything she needed and set to work. She was good at this part, but when she had to wait for something to finish she usually ended up reading, and forgot about it. She set water to boil and started cooking the sausage. Her worries melted away. They always did when she was doing something productive. Soon, everything was nearly ready, so she put garlic bread in the oven to toast. She cleared off the table and set three places, and sat down at her usual spot to wait for the timer to finish.  
They still weren’t here. She glanced at a clock- it was six fifty. She made herself take a deep breath. They were fine, they weren’t even late yet. Even so, a thread of anxiety wound itself tight around her. 

She sat at the table, trying very hard not to worry. The timer abruptly started beeping, and Maka jumped so hard she banged her knee on the underside of the table. Cursing, she went to take the toast out of the oven and stir in all of the components of dinner into the large pot she had cooked the pasta in. She set the toast and pot of spaghetti on the table, and looked at a clock. It was seven. 

Maka tried to clamp down on her growing anxiety. Maybe they were just pulling up outside. She went to the window to check. Soul’s motorcycle was parked outside, and after a moment’s relief and jubilation, she remembered they had taken Stein’s car. Maka slunk back to the table, her anxieties worsened. No matter how much she tried to reason with herself, she couldn’t stop worrying. It was perfectly normal for someone to be ten minutes late, especially when there was a battle involved. 

By seven fifteen she was pacing the floor of the kitchen. 

Seven twenty, she packed up dinner and put it in the fridge, and called Soul’s cell phone, only to hear it ringing in his bedroom. She went back to pacing. 

At seven twenty five, she turned off her music and put her laptop away, so she could hear the cars that pulled into the parking lot. 

At seven thirty, Maka tried Stein’s phone, only to get his house, and Marie. She excused herself as politely as possible, and sat down at the kitchen table. She had paced herself out. 

At seven thirty five, Maka checked outside again, looking up and down the road to try and see the headlights of cars coming.

When seven forty rolled around, Maka had her head down on the kitchen table, fighting back tears. 

Which is why, at seven forty-three, she didn’t notice a car pull into the lot, or a white haired boy leap from the passenger side and sprint towards the building, Stein following him, a smug, knowing look on his face. She did hear boots clomping up the stairs, and a key jingling excitedly in the lock. She looked up just in time to see Soul burst through the door. She was standing, and running at him before she had registered her own movements. He dropped his bag and took two big steps toward her. She flung herself at him, and he caught her, his arms wonderfully tight around her.

“Maka.” he said, and buried his face into her shoulder, hugging her closer. She hugged him just as hard, her arms looped tight around his neck, her face pressed into his shirt, breathing in the first breath she felt like she’d taken since seven o’clock.

“I’m sorry we were late.” Soul said, his words muffled and warm against her shoulder. 

“It’s ok,” Maka said, “I’m just glad you came home.” 

Soul squeezed her again, holding her against him, and Maka let out a sigh of relief.  
The pointed click of a lighter followed by the smell of cigarettes drew Maka’s attention to the doorway, where Stein stood, somewhat awkwardly, waiting for their excited reunion to come to a close. The two released each other, and turned to face Stein. Maka felt the blush on her cheeks, and Soul was red to the tips of his ears.  
Before either could speak or offer an explanation to Stein, Soul’s stomach did not so much grumble as roar it’s hunger into the dead silent room. Maka remembered her dinner plan, and turned to Stein.

“I made enough dinner for three.” she told the man, “You’re welcome to stay.” 

Stein exhaled a puff of smoke, and smiled. “Thank you, Maka.” he said, “But Marie will kill me as it is, for being this late. I had better get home to her and assure her I’m not dead in a ditch somewhere.” 

Soul still had his arm around her shoulders, tucking her securely to his side. He reached out his hand for Stein to shake, and the two men clasped hands. Stein said goodnight to them both, and was gone.

Maka looked up at Soul, “I’m glad you’re home.” she said.

Soul smiled swept her into his arms a second time, just for the hell of it, and spun her around. She laughed against him, reveling in his presence, in the fact he was safe and unhurt. He set her back on her feet, and for a moment, he stood very close to her, his hands still on her waist, big and warm, his gaze tender, and almost… hopeful. It occurred to Maka that she need only stand on her toes, and she would be tall enough to kiss him. She stood on her toes. And suddenly, they were kissing, his lips soft and hesitant, hers more confidant. When their lips met, there was no explosion, no fireworks in the background like the romance books Blair left around for Maka. There was only the two of them, together at last, finally accepting what both of them had discovered somewhere along the way.


End file.
